There was a time waaaaay back when our farmhouse had three staircases.  By the time we bought this house, there were two sets and the third had been made into a broom closet, and a clothing closet was put in a bedroom upstairs.

I’m all for keeping my mop, Swiffer sheets, and wipes out of sight, but a closet in the kitchen, I felt, was too valuable of real estate to occupy.  Plus, my beloved cookbooks needed a home.  That broom closet was a no-brainer.  Built-in bookcase would be a perfect solution for that spot.

My first step was to remove the door.  Mr. Mop and gear found a new home off the beaten path.  Then, I removed the shelf and all of the hooks and I cleaned the entire area with TSP.  I went to Lowe’s and picked up some 2×4’s, MDF, and beadboard.

I cut the 2×4’s to size and fit them to the sides of the area.  Using leftover paint from the kitchen cabinets, I decided to paint the beadboard first before I installed, thinking that would make things easier.  And it did.  Some touchups were necessary, but only minor.

After I installed the beadboard, I painted the perimeter of the area.  Then, I measured one of my tallest cookbooks and determined how far apart I wanted the shelves, which also determined how many shelves I would be able to fit in the space.  I cut the shelves and painted them first as well, before installing.

Now I’m in business.  I have always wanted all of my cookbooks to be housed in the kitchen, and now they are.  I enjoyed figuring out where I wanted each book to go.  I set out to replace the lavender with a light fixture of some sort, and I found just what I had in mind.  Along with the light fixture, this bookcase adds a nice home-y feeling to that corner of the kitchen.  I am happy.

What is your favorite cookbook?  I am anxious to hear!!